In an effort to increase the reliability of their network and to eliminate the unsightliness of overhead wires, many communication companies have adopted the procedure of placing their communication cables underground. Like overhead wires, these underground communication cables generally follow preexisting roads for ease of access in servicing them.
The procedure of placing the communication cables underground, however, is not without limitation. One of these limitations requires that the cable be brought above ground periodically, terminated, and routed to individual houses. These terminations are currently housed in sheet metal structures called terminals. Because the underground communication cables generally follow roads, these terminals sit relatively close to the edge of such roads. This makes the terminal susceptible to impacts from automobiles, trucks, farm equipment, mowers, and other moving objects.
As previously mentioned, these terminals are currently constructed of sheet metal. Such construction protects the driver of the vehicle in the event of an impact, but its sheet metal construction makes the terminal itself highly susceptible to being damaged or being totally destroyed by impact. For example, after an impact the terminal is usually seriously deformed or sheared from its base. In either case, the terminal must be completely replaced.
Such a replacement is costly, difficult and time consuming. The entire terminal, including the portion anchoring the terminal in the ground, must be removed. Valuable man hours and material resources are unnecessarily wasted in the replacement process. Moreover, the service provided by the terminal is interrupted, and the affected customers are inconvenienced.